Mutations

Mutations - changes in a DNA sequence - are a fundamental ingredient in the evolutionary process of living things. These genetic alterations may be the result of errors in DNA replication (the spontaneous mutation rate is roughly 1 error per billion nucleotides), or caused by specific chemical mutagens (e.g., tar derivatives) or even physical agents (e.g., ionizing radiation).

Regarding the range of effects, it's customary to distinguish between genetic anomalies (when a single gene is affected), chromosomal abnormalities (when the mutagenic event involves the structure of one or more chromosomes), and karyotype disorders (when the number of chromosomes differs from the norm). Additionally, mutations can involve either somatic or germ cells. Unlike with somatic cells, germ cell modifications can be inherited, which makes them a primary focus of genetic research. Dutch botanist and pioneering geneticist Hugo de Vries (1848-1935) was the first to use the term "mutation" in 1901, although it wouldn't be widely adopted until somewhere around the late 1920s.

Wildly popular in genre film and fiction, the theme of mutations began exerting a notable influence over preeminent authors starting with the Golden Age of Science Fiction. In the realm of sci-fi horror, the figure of the mutant - often envisioned from a naive perspective that saw it as synonymous with "monstruous creature" - has been featured in countless stories over the decades: In the 1950s and 60s, the mutant symbolized the widespread fears of all things nuclear; during the 1970's, it became a frequent protagonist of the burgeoning ecology/environmental subgenre; and in the 1980s, it became a mainstay of post-apocalyptic works. And let's not forget those unavoidable detours into the realm of trash all throughout the history of the Seventh Art. Scientific precision aside, this Tag will include a divergent range of films which share a focus on mutants and mutations within a framework of fantabiology (+). Specifically, this Tag focuses on films about characters who, having been either exposed to mutagenic substances or subjected to lab experiments, undergo significant psychophysical changes (it's not unusual to encounter extensive cellular transformation).